Bronx train derailment affects service in region

Amtrak's Empire Line halted for seven hours

Updated 11:05 pm, Sunday, December 1, 2013

Train travel in the Capital Region was halted for several hours Sunday after the fatal derailment of a Metro-North train in the Bronx.

Amtrak's Empire line service between Rensselaer and New York City was interrupted for seven hours beginning shortly after Sunday morning's derailment.

Amtrak reopened the route around 3 p.m.

The only restrictions on the Amtrak trains were that they move slower when around the area where the Metro-North derailment occurred.

Several other train routes out of or coming into Albany were delayed in the wake of the derailment, said Cliff Cole, an Amtrak spokesman.

"It was a seven-hour incident. It's going to take a while to catch up," Cole said Sunday afternoon.

The delays come on the Sunday closing one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

Cole said that Sunday's Empire Line delays affected thousands of travelers.

Passengers with tickets who choose not to travel due to the service disruption can receive a refund or a voucher for future travel. Reservations booked online can be modified or canceled on Amtrak.com or by using the free Amtrak mobile app.